Drying Tobacco

[Mad Hatter]

A year or so ago I was remoisturizing some of my Tabak, using a method with a touch of vinegar and water listed at Vegassmokes. OOPS! I got it too moist and then it tasted like shite. Now six months later is seems to maybe be getting its flavor back........ maybe. Is there a prescribed method for undoing such a wrong that doesn't involve an empty jar held up-side-down over a garbage can or is the damage just done? Its only $30 worth of tobacco, but hey, its a challenge of man against the inanimate!

[NCatron]

Easiest way to de-moisten anything? Throw in a dessicator packet. Or a set of dry humidity beads if you have some.

If you work in a chemistry lab, Magnesium sulfate is good at adsorbing moisture.

[Mad Hatter]

Originally Posted by NCatron

Easiest way to de-moisten anything? Throw in a dessicator packet. Or a set of dry humidity beads if you have some.

If you work in a chemistry lab, Magnesium sulfate is good at adsorbing moisture.

Take a cup, talking 'bout little ol' magnesium sulfate. Epsom salts, man, daggone ol' jack of all trades!

[Mad Hatter]

Ok Ncat. Just so happened I had some of that MS just sitting around the house (been using it to clean my liver......... honestly). I put some in a bag and set it in the jar with my wet tabac. Do you think it will ok after it dries a bit or does the added moisture further ferment the tobacco and change its character. I was told by a doctor of mine, an old pipe puffer that he'd never been able to salvage smoke that had gotten too damp.... course he never lived in the virtual world of information either. Thanks for the advice

[NCatron]

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

Ok Ncat. Just so happened I had some of that MS just sitting around the house (been using it to clean my liver......... honestly). I put some in a bag and set it in the jar with my wet tabac. Do you think it will ok after it dries a bit or does the added moisture further ferment the tobacco and change its character. I was told by a doctor of mine, an old pipe puffer that he'd never been able to salvage smoke that had gotten too damp.... course he never lived in the virtual world of information either. Thanks for the advice

Bad news. I did a bit of poking, the typical magnesium sulfate found about, "Epsom salts", is actually magnesium sulfate heptahydrate... in other words, it's already saturated with water. Probably not going to be hygroscopic like the anhydrous form we use in the lab. Time to look around for a dessicator packet. I found some in the last pair of shoes I bought, check the department store and "liberate" a couple.

Or if you're feeling chemist-like, try baking the epsom salt in the oven, to liberate the water and make the anhydrous form. I'd say 400 deg might be reasonable.

*disclaimer* I've never done this, so dont' blame me if somethign wacky happens.

And one of the things that attracted me to pipe tobacco, the FAQs etc say that if it dries out or gets too wet, it usually recovers just fine, unlike cigars.

[Mad Hatter]

Cool dude. Thanks for saving me the legwork and thanks for the info